Residents of the building where Baba raped girls say they wondered what he looked like, and who the burqa-clad women were
Residents of the building where Baba raped girls say they wondered what he looked like, and who the burqa-clad women wereu00a0
Mehendi Hassan, the demonic "godman" who raped minors and forced abortion on them, lived like a shadow in his building.
Also known as Bengali Baba, his neighbours said they never saw him, but witnessed beautiful women entering his residence.
Firdose, one of Baba's neighbour, said, "We never caught a glimpse of Baba since the time he moved in. We often saw only women visit his residence, covered fully in burqa, gloves and socks."
"We were a bit curious about where the women were heading in the building. Then the lift man told us that they were Baba's guests," said Intikhab Hussain, another one of Baba's neighbours. The neighbours said that even when they knocked, he would not bother to open the door.
Mehendi Kasam Jainul Abdin Shaikh, alias Bengali Baba, lives in Mariam Building in Bhindi Bazar.
The Colaba family that fell prey to Baba's sexually predatory ways, got him his 12th storey flat eight months back, after he persuaded them that he could heal an 11-year-old mentally challenged boy in the family.
According to police, the family came in Baba's contact last year to "cure" the boy.
Baba's solution to the handicap was something called a Bengali puja. Baba wormed his way into the family's trust and they got him the flat in Bhindi Bazar, paying the rent for him.
Here, Baba often called the mentally challenged boy's mother, and raped her. He had sex with the woman's sister and maid, and raped her two daughters, and four of their cousins, of whom three are below 18.
Meanwhile, he ripped them off of a lot of money.
Despite so much happening, residents of Mariam did not suspect that their neighbour's flat was a pit of crime and debauchery, though they did sense something was amiss, given Baba's queasy isolation.u00a0
"We don't even know how he looks like. Everyday, early in the morning, we would be disturbed by the crowing of a cock in his house, and that was all," said Hussain.
"When Baba would order food from a nearby restaurant, the delivery boy had to keep knocking at his door but he wouldn't open. Only after the boy called him on his phone, he would open," said Firdose.
On Monday, JJ Marg police produced Baba in Mazgaon court. He will be in police custody till December 3. "We are under immense pressure.
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We cannot disclose any details as investigation is still on," said Pandit Thorat, police inspector, JJ Marg police station.
Hospital's sideAfter the sordid tale unravelled yesterday, Javed Shroff, a trustee from the hospital in Dongri where Baba would take his victims for abortion said he would look into the matter.
"I've asked Ejaj Thakur, the medical superintendent of Habib Hospital, to give me an explanation in writing. The girls were aborted there. I will lodge a police complaint if is found guilty," Shroff said.
The horror story
On Saturday, JJ Marg police arrested a 46-year-old witch doctor, Mehendi Hassan, who claimed to have magical powers to fix all infirmities.
He was found to have duped or forced a married woman, her sister and two daughters, and their house keeper to have sexual intercourse with him over a period of time that began in May last year.
He had many other victims other than the family. Police are still investigating the case.
